Umar bin Hafiz
Habib Umar bin Hafiz is a Yemeni Sunni and Sufi Islamic scholar, teacher, and founder and dean of Dar al-Mustafa Islamic seminary. He is also a member of the Supreme Advisory Council for the Tabah Foundation in Abu Dhabi.
Background
Habib Omar bin Hafiz was born on 27 May 1963 CE or 4 Muharram 1383 AH in Tarim, Kathiri, Protectorate of South Arabia, and raised in a household that possessed a tradition and lineage of Islamic scholarship and righteousness by his father. His father was Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafiz, a Habib and mufti of Tarim, a pious caller to Islam, scholar, and a martyr of the communist uprising. He is considered a, through his grandson Husayn ibn Ali. The surname "Hafiz" comes from his great grandfather's name, a branch of the family of "Shaykh Abubakr bin Salim", which is also the name of his paternal thirteenth generation progenitor.Early life
Having memorized the Qur'an at a very young age, Habib also studied and memorized core texts in Fiqh, the Arabic, Hadith and many other religious sciences. He studied Islamic sciences including spirituality from his father.Later, he enrolled at the Ribat of al-Bayda', where he began studying the traditional Islamic sciences under the tutelage of Al-Habib Muhammad bin Abd-Allah al-Haddar, as well as under the Shafi'i jurist and scholar Al-Habib Zain bin Sumait. Habib Omar was given permission to teach soon after.
He then studied under the mufti of Taiz, al-Habib Ibrahim bin Aqil bin Yahya. He also studied under Shaikh al-Habib Muhammad al-Haddar, who gave him his daughter's hand in marriage. Bin Hafiz then traveled to the Hejaz and studied several books with scholars, including Al-Habib Abdul Qadir bin Ahmad al-Saqqaf, Al-Habib Ahmed Mashur al-Haddad, and Al-Habib Attas al-Habashi.
At the age of 15, Habib began to teach, while continuing to study and receive lessons.
Career
After returning to Tarim, bin Hafiz established Dar al-Mustafa, an Islamic educational seminary. Habib currently lives in Tarim, where he oversees the development of Dar al-Mustafa and the schools that have been set up under his management. Dar al-Mustafa has been featured in The New York Times. His seminary accepts students from a variety of countries. Some of his prominent students in the UK include, and in the United States, Shaykh Abdul Karim Yahya and Shaykh John Rhodus, while his prominent students in Indonesia include the late Habib Munzir Al-Musawa.Habib travels regularly to meet with students and leaders, deliver talks and media interviews, and participate in official and private functions. Among the places he has been include: the Persian Gulf states, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, Mali, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, the Comoros Islands, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, and Spain. He has connected to the chains of transmission of the scholars of these regions.
In 2006, Habib met with Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri; they exchanged knowledge on Islam, and he also received an Ijazah of Hadith from Tahir-ul-Qadri.
In 2007, Habib joined the ranks of the world's leading Muslim academics and scholars as a signatory to A Common Word Between Us and You, a document that builds bridges between the Muslim and Christian communities. He has also spoken at Cambridge University on the need for such a dialogue.
In July 2008, he partnered with Muslim Aid Australia as founder of Yemen-based NGO Al-Rafah Charitable Society to address issues of poverty and hunger and lack of sufficient health care that affect areas of Tarim.
In 2011, Habib toured the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States for outreach purposes and da'wah.
Recognition
Habib was listed at number 1 in The 500 Most Influential Muslims for 2024 and number 2 for 2025 an annual ranking compiled by Georgetown University's Prince Al-Waleed Center for Muslim–Christian Understanding and the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.Habib has appeared in the list's top 50 every year since its inaugural publication in 2009.
Writings and publications
Habib has many audio and visual publications as well as writings. Among the latter are:Mukhtar al-Hadith: Selection of Noble Prophetic Traditions- Two collections of hadith: Selections from Shifa al-Saqim and The Light of Faith From the Speech of the Beloved of al-Rahman Aid to Those Seeking the Creator's Pleasure, by Clarifying the Noble Traits of Character Advice to Students Our Traits Forthpourings of Favor from the Mercy of the Giver of Favors Directing the Intelligent to the Contentment of the Beneficent The Glorious Treasure The Summary of Prophetic Aid, a book of invocations
- Two mawlids, celebrating the life of Muhammad: The Shimmering Light Mentioning the Birth of the Interceding Prophet and The Pure Drink Mentioning the Life of the Fullest of Moons The Forthpouring of Spiritual Aid, a Compilation of Sermons The Preacher’s Refinement
- A collection of poetry